On North America’s shimmering western edge lies a mist-shrouded place of emerald islands, filled with ancient spruce, rugged mountains, abundant wildlife and fast-running rivers. It is our Tongass National Forest – America’s rainforest in southeast Alaska. The Tongass National Forest is a temperate rainforest, one of the world’s rarest ecosystems. Receiving an average of 146 inches of precipitation a year, the Tongass supports towering trees, salmon rich streams and dense grizzly bear populations. The materials and activities contained in this section will bring the islands, streams and trees to life for you and your students.

Each curriculum packet includes downloadable lesson materials as well as classroom activities to assist you in educating your students about this unique place.

Introducing the Tongass National Forest

Rising majestically from the deep, clear waters of Alaska’s Inside Passage, this is a land of huge bears grown fat on salmon, eagles soaring the endless skies, and 800-year-old trees standing silent sentry over a rich and verdant world. It is a rare place where visitors and locals alike can still travel over timeless glaciers, fish in pristine streams, or find solace at a remote cabin, immersed in the breath-taking beauty of wild Alaska. (Introducing the Tongass – download the PDF.)

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TONGASS ANIMALS

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the Tongass contains as many as 17,000 miles of clean, undammed creeks, rivers and lakes. These pristine waterways are home to several important kinds of fish including five species of salmon – chinook, coho, sockeye, pink and chum – and several varieties of trout. The forest is also home to brown and black bear, Sitka black-tailed deer, bald eagles, wolves and many other types of animals. Read more about Tongass wildlife in our Animals of the Tongass National Forest (PDF).

TONGASS CLIMATE

The Tongass National Forest is a temperate rainforest biome, one of the rarer ecosystems on the planet. The widely recognized required characteristics for a temperate rainforest is that the area must receive more than 55 inches (1400 mm) in annual precipitation and have a mean annual temperature between 39 and 54 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Pacific Temperate Forest region is the largest temperate zone on the planet and stretches from California north to Alaska. The combination of mountains and moist ocean air create the moderate temperatures and high rainfall necessary to sustain this type of ecosystem. The combination of mild temperatures, rich soil and constant precipitation supports a mix of both conifers, such as Sitka spruce, hemlock and Douglas fir, as well as deciduous trees like maples and alders.

Alaska Wilderness League galvanizes support to secure vital policies that protect and defend America’s last great wild public lands and waters. Visit the website of our sister organization Alaska Wilderness Action to learn more about its legislative and political advocacy to protect Alaska’s wild places.